“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around for a while, you could miss it.” You might recognize this famous quote by Ferris Bueller, an adventurous gent whose passion for living in the moment would be nearly impossible to outdo. The king of spring fever hijinks knew what he was talking about even decades before our modern lives got inexplicably faster.
Photo Courtesy of Folk Rebellion
I think we can all agree that summer is short enough already. It flies by in a flurry of perfectly filtered pics and work emails from the beach chair. So why are we letting our constantly connected, distracted way-of-life not only fast-forward the time but also eat up our supposed space for relaxation? The result is far worse than a Monday after the Boardy Barn. It’s leaving many heading home from the beach feeling like they were barely there at all.
Which is why I bring you this list of Ferris Bueller-inspired rules for the summer of 2015. Abiding by these rules will greatly increase your chances of rediscovering that indescribably awesome feeling you got from summer when you were a kid.
Photo Courtesy of Folk Rebellion
- Play Hooky. Seize the day and make it count. Pretend you are catatonic if it helps with the boss man. It’s a little childish and stupid but truthfully so is the rat race. Nothing will make you feel better than an entire day to yourself. No phone, no email. It WILL survive without you, you little narcissist. Set boundaries, you earned it.
- Self-Medicate. Don’t be a Cameron. You’re not dying — it’s just your over-connected brain is fried and you just can’t think of anything good to do besides scroll Instagram in bed. Put down the phone, get up, sing in the shower, slap a smile on your burnt-out noggin and walk out the front door.
- Go Silent. A little absence always makes the heart grow fonder. No matter what society has led you to believe, you do not need to tell people where you are and what you are doing every second of the day. When you return to conversation, think about the greater human connection. People will ask how your vacation was over the water-cooler. An actual face-to-face conversation could take place! And it’ll probs be more emotionally fulfilling than the typical “Saw your trip on Facebook. Looked fun.”
- Tune In. Pick up a vinyl record, CD, mixtape or instrument. No offense to Spotify but the instant gratification of tunage has taken the thought out of the music and distanced the connection between listener and artist. Take the time to make the ultimate playlist for your road trip, don’t just click the link on someone else’s. Sit and listen to an album, beginning to end, the way the artist intended. Look at the cover art and and read the liner notes wondering who DT is next to that heart.
- Say Cheese. Take pictures the analog way. Point, shoot and wait entire days to see the single shot you took on the beach of actual people laughing and smiling together, versus multiple photos of your “good times” including the strategically placed cocktail next to your hotdog legs frying in the sun. I mean would you ever really frame that and put it on your dresser? Exactly — less is more.
Editor’s note: Stay tuned for Part II, which will feature 5 more Bueller-esque rules for going unplugged. And if you’re really picking up what Jess is putting down, check out her company/blog, Folk Rebellion.
